Portable burial-vault.



PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

F. 0. SBARLE. PORTABLE BUBIAL VAULT.

APPLIOATIOK FILE D OCT. 5.1907.

rectangular receptacle .the floors 1, and sides 2,

FRANK. CURRINGTQN SEAItLE, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

PORTABLE BURIAL-VAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented March 31, 1908.

Application filed October 5, 1907. Serial 110.3%,062.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CURRINGTON SEARLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, county of Newcastle, Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Burial-Vaults; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others sliiiled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

This invention relates 'to certain improvements in portable.buriol vaults,- and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the structure shown in the accompanying drawings as my preferred embodiment.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construc'li on and in combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully and particularly set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is a perspective view of the complete vault. Fig. 2, a longitudii'ial section. Fig. 3, is a cross section. Fig. 4, is an end View oi the section B, of the vault, dotted lines indicating the coverthereon. Fig. 5, is a top plan view of the central portion of the vault, the cover being removed. Fig. 6, is a side elevation of the central portion of the vault, the cover being removed.

In the specific example illustrated, the vault consists of a body or receptacle and a cover or top. The body is composed of abutting sections, preferably two sections, each comprising a floor, vertical side walls and a vertical end wall. specific example illustrated, is composed of two transverse sections. Tlhese body and cover sections can be formed of any suitable plastic-material or the like although I prefer tomold them of concrete. If desired they can be formed of clay or other suitable mate rial fired to form. the sections of terra cotta or the like. Each hall or section of the vault body is preferably molded or otherwise formed in one piece with a horizontal bottom or floor 1, two vertical longitudinal side walls 2, and a vertical end wall 3, the section being open atthc opposite end and top. As thus for described, the. two sections are similar and when broughttogether at their open ends, will form or vault body with of the two sections in The cover, in the the approximately continuation of each other, respectively, to form the floor and side walls of the complete vault receptacle.

If so desired, the side walls "2, can be formed or molded with exterior hand holds or cleats 4, for convenience in handling the sec tions. At its open end, one section is reduced in thickness or rabbeted at the inner surface vertically completely across the ends 5 of thetwo side walls 2, and horizontally completely across the upper sic e of the end of the floor 1, to form stop shoulders 5, 'throu bout the widths of the walls 2 and floor 1, an rojecting flange (5 from the ends of the we s 2 and floor 1. A groove 7 is formed in the inner surface of this flange adjacentto and parallel with shoulder 5, and extending through? out the vertical and. horizontal portions of the flange so that the outer portion of the inner surface of the flange forms the outer Wall 8, of the groove. The other section of the vault body, at its open end, is correspondingly reduced in thickness or rabbcted at its outer surface vertical ly completely across the ends of the two side walls and horizontally completely across the under side of the floor to form stop shoulder 5, throughout the widths of the walls 2, end floor 1, and rojecting' flange 6 in length equal to shou der 5 A groove 7 is formed in the'outer surface of this flange 6, adj accnt to and paral-.

lel with shoulder 5, and extending throughout the length thereof and of the vertical and horizontal portions of the flange 6 so that the outer portion of the outer surface of said flange forms the outer side wall 8", of said groove.

, The recessed open ends of the two sections are so formed and proportioned that they fit one within the other and thus overlap or telesco )e.

dassembling the sections in the grave, the section A, can be first placed in roper position, and the section B, having tie ex teriorly reduced end can then be placed vertically in position with its reduced end or flange 6, passing down within the internally red uced end of section A, the vertical portions of the flange 6, sliding within the vertical 5 portions of the flange 6, and interlockin therewith by means of the grooves 7, 7 an Walls 8, 8. As the floor of section B, approaches the level or plane of the floor of section A, the horizontal portion of the flange 6, drops onto the horizontal. ortion of flange 6, and said overlapping end flanges of the floor sections 1, interlock through the medium of the horizontal portions of the groove 7, 7, and walls 8, 8. When the two sections are thus assembled by being transverselytelescoped or slipped together with their inner ends overlapped and interlocked, v the vertical end edges of the overlap ed flanges 6, 6 abut against the stop shoul ers 5, respectively, and the inner surfaces of .the floor and side walls of the two sections are substantially flush. The groove 7 of the section Aals o forms a seat or holder to receive the sealing grouting, cement or other material for forming a h .uid tight joint between the two sections, T e cover is formed of the halves or two. approximately similar sections C, D, meeting at their adjoining edges bya lap joint formed by depression 9, across the top face of the inner end of section C, to re-;

ceive the projecting'flange 10, from the inner end of section D.

The cover sections rest 'on the to of the sides and ends of the vault receptacle, and are formed with exterior depending flanges 11, fitting the exterior edges vertical faces of the side and end walls of 1 the vault body completely around saidbody.

The cover in its under face is formed with a groove or seat 12, to receive the upper edges of the vault body .sides and ends and to receive the sealing cement or grouting whereby a liquid tight joint can be formed separation after assembling to form the cornpleted vault.

The vault is thus formed against opening or separation under stress and strains caused by uneven settling of the ody orearth or from other causes. Furthermore, the vault body sections can be easily and quickly assembled in the narrow graves by simply lowering section A to the desired position on the grave floor, and then lowering section B, so that the vertical portions of its flange walls 8*, properly enter and slide down in the rooves 7 of section A.

What I c aim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A grave vault comprising several slidably united -sections arranged end to end in continuation of each other, said sections overlapping at the' vertical and horizontal ortions of their meeting ends and at said liorizontal overlapping portions formed with interlocking depressions and corresponding raised portions fitting therein, substantially as described.

2. A grave vault comprising several sections arranged end to end in continuation of each other, each section comprising side walls and a floor and formed at its end with a groove extending throughout the width of each side wall and H001 with a parallel adjacentraised portion, the meeting ends of the sections overlapping and interlocking with-the raised portions fitting in the grooves, substantially as described.

3. A grave vault comprising sections arranged end to end with the end of one sec tion-slidable vertically down into the end of the other section, the floors of the sections formed with depressions and raised portions to vertically interlock, the side walls of the overlapping ends of the sections having vertical depressions and raised portions slidablyinterlocking; and a cover having depending flanges and grooves to receive the upper edges of the sections, said cover formed of overlapping sections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

4 FRANK CURRINGTON SEAltlill.

Witnesses:

BERNARD KLErrz, Ronnnr M; BARR. 

